Zoi Sadowski-Synnott in New Zealand's first Winter Olympics medallist in 26 years. Photo / Getty Images.
Zoi Sadowski-Synnott in New Zealand's first Winter Olympics medallist in 26 years. Photo / Getty Images.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was among a large contingent of Kiwis who voiced their congratulations to Kiwi snowboarder Zoi Sadowski-Synnott on social media.
The 16-year-old won a bronze medal in the women's big air at the Winter Olympics in PyeongChang on Thursday, breaking New Zealand's 26-year medal drought at theWinter Games.
Politicians, athletes and sporting bodies were among those to offer messages of congratulations to Sadowski-Synnott on Twitter immediately after the result was confirmed.
‘She’s just so talented, and dedicated to her craft and has progressed so fast. It’s incredible. It’s just so awesome to see such an exceptional young woman come through the ranks and win a bronze medal at the Olympic Games.’ Coach Mitch Brown on Zoi Sadowski-Synnott #EarnTheFern
Whether the snowboarder gets their messages or not is a different story, as she doesn't appear to have an account on the site.
The 16-year-old finished third in the event with a final score of 157.50 from her two counting runs. Austrian Anna Gasser took the gold medal with a score of 185, while American Jamie Anderson claimed the silver with a score of 177.25.
Zoi Sadowski-Synnott (right) finished third behind America's Jamie Anderson (left) and Austria's Anna Gasser (centre). Photo / Getty Images.
With the result, the young Kiwi becomes the youngest ever Olympic medallist from New Zealand at 16 years 353 days. Swimmer Danyon Loader previously held the mark after he claimed a silvermedal in the pool at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona.
